Leg brace hinge guard



May 2, 1967 1.. M. YOUNG LEG BRACE HINGE GUARD Filed Aug. 18, 1964INVENTOR. L////a/ M Young BY 5 Voang am Thompson flTTO/PNEYS UnitedStates Patent 3,316,900 LEG BRACE HINGE GUARD Lillian M. Young, 1830 S.Joplin Ave., Tulsa, Okla. 74112 Filed Aug. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 390,305 4Claims. (Cl. 128-80) The present invention relates to a leg brace hingeguard, more particularly of the type designed to prevent sharp portionsof a leg brace hinge from damaging the clothing or causing discomfort tothe wearer of a leg brace.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a leg brace hingeguard which can be readily attached to and detached from the region ofthe hinge of a leg brace.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a leg bracehinge guard which adapts itself readily to the shape of the leg bracehinge.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a legbrace hinge guard which occupies a minimum of space when in use.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a legbrace hinge guard that fits readily onto any of a variety of leg braces.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a leg bracehinge guard which is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture,easy to utilize, and rugged and durable in use.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a considerationof the following description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an enlarged perspective view of a leg brace hinge guardaccording to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a leg brace with hinge guardsaccording to the present invention in use thereon; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragment showing the hinge region of a leg bracein a partially bent condition, and showing the guard of the presentinvention in place thereon but partially broken away for clarity ofillustration.

Referring now to the drawing in greater detail, there is shown a legbrace indicated generally at 1 and comprising a pair of spaced parallelupper brace members 3 and a pair of spaced parallel lower brace members5. Upper brace members 3 are designed to correspond generally to theposition of the upper leg and lower brace members 5 generally to theposition of the lower leg of the wearer. Accordingly, a strap 7 isprovided at the top of the brace 1, which encircles and can be tightenedagainst the thigh of the wearer; while a lower strap 9 embraces and canbe tightened against approximately the lower leg of the wearer. Aninstep strap 11 interconnects the lower ends of lower brace members 5and is articulately interconnected therewith about a horizontal pivotaxis.

The upper and lower brace members 3 and 5 are interconnected forswinging movement relative to each other about a horizontal axis, aboutcoaxial hinges 13, one on either side of the brace. Lock rings slide oneon each upper brace member 3. Hinges 13 are disposed below the upperends of lower brace members 5, so that the upper end of each lower bracemember 5 projects above the associated hinge 13. Therefore, when bracemembers 3 and 5 are in alignment with each other, lock ring 15 can beslid down over the upper end of lower brace member 5 to hold the legbrace rigidly in extended position as seen in FIG. 2. But when lockrings 15 are slid upwardly until they clear the upper ends of lowerbrace members 5, then upper and lower brace members 3 and 5 are free toswing relative to each other about hinges 13. This relative swingingmovement of upper and lower brace members 3 and 5 is useful not when thewearer is walking, but rather when the wearer is seated and desires toalter the position of his leg as by bending it, or when the leg brace isnot being worn and it is desired to fold it for shipment or storage.

The hinges 13 and lock rings 15, or like structure, are largelyunavoidable in a well made brace. It is also inevitable that such hingestructure presents protruding surfaces or portions which tend to damagethe clothing of the wearer or reduce the comfort of the brace.Therefore, the present invention provides a leg brace hinge guardindicated generally at 17, and comprising an elongated sleeve 19 offlexible material, and preferably of woven relatively stiff but flexiblestrands that are spaced apart in the woven material of the sleeve muchin the manner of wire insect screening. The strands from which sleeve 19is woven may be for example metal wire or plastic-impregnated fiberglass or nylon or the like. The object of providing sleeve 19 of suchmaterial is to render sleeve 19 flexible to the extent that it can beapplied to and removed from the hinge region, but neverthelesssulficiently resistant to deformation that it will not conform to thecontours of the hinge and therefore will reduce the wear on the clothingof the user and will contribute to the users comfort.

Sleeve 19 is characterized by opposite ends 21 and by side edges 23 thatextend between and interconnect end 21. Guard 17 is also characterizedby a loop 25 of reinforcing material that extends entirely about theside and end edges of sleeve 19 and is secured thereto as by stitchingor cementing or riveting or the like, and is of closed configuration.Loop 25 is of a reinforcing material such as leather or a flexibleplastic or heavy fabric or the like.

Loop 2 5 is characterized by a pair of opposed relatively straightlongitudinally extending side portions 27 that are secured to and bordertheseparable side edges 23 of sleeve 19. At the ends of edges 27, loop25 is characterized by bights 29, which are closed in configuration andsecured at their ends to the ends of side portions 27.

It is important to note that the material of loop 25 is of substantiallygreater width than its thickness, so that the material of loop 25 couldbe characterized as flat. The material of loop 25 is also relativelystiflly flexible. It should also be noted that bights 29 are not in linewith side portions 27 but rather are disposed at opposite obtuse anglesto side portions 27.

Also, it should be noted that ends 21 of sleeve 19 are gathered adjacentand are secured to bights 29, so that the peripheral extent of ends 21and bights 29 is substantially less than the peripheral extent of sleeve19 intermediate ends 21, that is, adjacent the mid-portion of sleeve 19.

Guard 17 is provided with fasteners 31 along side portions 27 of loop25. Fasteners 31 are preferably of the snap fastener type with opposedhalves of the fasteners on opposite side portions 27 of loop 25.

In use, therefore, when the brace is in its extended or operativeposition as seen in FIG. 2, guards 17 can be easily applied thereto bydeforming them about the hinge regions of the brace and snappingfasteners 31 closed, with fasteners 31 on the outer side away from thewearers leg. The guards will then protect the clothing and the comfortof the wearer in use. If it is desired to articulate the brace, as inFIG. 3, then a considerable degree of bending will be tolerated by theguards thanks to their flexibility.

From a consideraton of the foregoing disclosure, therefore, it will beevident that all of the initially recited objects of the presentinvention have been achieved.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated inconnection with preferred embodiments. it is to be understood thatmodifications and variations may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit of the invention, as those skilled in this art will readilyunderstand. Such modifications and variations are considered to bewithin the purview and scope of the present invention as defined by theapended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A leg brace hinge guard, comprising a sleeve of flexible materialhaving separable longitudinally extending edges, reinforcing meansbordering the sleeve, the reinforcing means comprising a closed flexibleloop of reinforcing material, the loop having a pair of longitudinallyextending portions bordering said separable edges, and closed bights atthe ends of the edges, each bight extending at an angle to the edges ofthe sleeve and bordering an end of the sleeve, the bights gathering theends of the sleeve into reduced end portions of lesser peripheral extentthan the mid-portion of the sleeve, and means for releasably securingtogether said longitudinally extending portions of the loop.

.2. A leg brace hinge guard as claimed in claim 1, the bights beingdisposed at oblique angles to said edges.

3. A leg brace hinge guard as claimed in claim .1, the sleeve beingWoven of stilt but flexible strands.

4. A leg brace hinge guard as claimed in claim 1, the last-named meanscomprising snap fasteners spaced along the length of said longitudinallyextending portions of the loop.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,088,207 7/1937Kaiser 128 -87 FOREIGN PATENTS 9,761 6/1890 Great Britain.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

J. HINEY, Assistant Examiner.

1. A LEG BRACE HINGE GUARD, COMPRISING A SLEEVE OF FLEXIBLE MATERIALHAVING SEPARABLE LONGITUDINAL EXTENDING EDGES, REINFORCING MEANSBORDERING THE SLEEVE, THE REINFORCING MEANS COMPRISING A CLOSED FLEXIBLELOOP OF REINFORCING MATERIAL, THE LOOP HAVING A PAIR OF LONGITUDINALLYEXTENDING PORTIONS BORDERING SAID SEPARABLE EDGES, AND CLOSED BIGHTS ATTHE ENS OF THE EDGES, EACH BIGHT EXTENDING AT AN ANGLE TO THE EDGES OFTHE SLEEVE AND BORDERING AN END OF THE SLEEVE, THE BIGHTS GATHERING THEENDS OF THE SLEEVE INTO REDUCED END PORTIONS OF LESSER PERIPHERAL EXTENTTHAN THE MID-PORTION OF THE SLEEVE,